Medicinal
uses of seaweed have been known for centuries so it
is meaning that seaweed is not only used for industrial and botanical interest.
Due to the high nutrition of seaweed, this ocean plant has been
used for food source, cosmetic, agriculture fertilizer, and medicines. There
are manufactured medicine and traditional medicine using seaweed as the main
ingredients.
For example, seaweed can be used to treat
certain cancers and traditional Chinese medicine use extracts derived from
several types of seaweed with hot water. Moreover, both Chinese and Japanese
treat goiter as well as other thyroid problems by using seaweed since as long
as 300 BC. This can be some proof that seaweed contains wide variety of
nutrients which can be very essential and crucial to treat some health issues.
About
medicinal uses of seaweed
Seaweed carries high quality vitamins and
minerals so medicinal uses of seaweed can be
done internally and externally. We already explained to you above that the use
of seaweed extracts used by Japanese and Chinese to treat several diseases.
Furthermore, for centuries the Romans use seaweed to treat rashes, burns, and
wounds. Not only that, some studies also reported that the seaweed can be used
to treat abdominal wall abscesses and dysmenorrheal for as long as it can be
remembered.
Botanically, seaweeds are grouped into
three different types which are red seaweed, green seaweed, and brown seaweed.
And all those types carry essential minerals so they can be used as important
medicines. Seaweed is high in iodine and people who have iodine deficiency
possible to have higher risk of thyroid disease such as goiter.
Below is some information regarding medicinal uses of seaweed taken from Oriental
Materia Medica:
1.
Haizao: The flavor of this type
of seaweed is not only salty but also bitter and cold. It can be used to treat
several illnesses including removing heat, disperses tumor and goiter,
disperses accumulated phlegm, and so on. They will enter the stomach, liver,
and kidney.
2.
Kunbu: Unlike Haizao, this type
of seaweed does not carry bitter taste, but it still cold and salty. Channel
entered are kidney, liver, and stomach so it can be used to treat heat, edema,
testicular swelling and pain, goiter, scrofula, tumor, and many more.
3.
Zicai: Uniquely, Zicai has some
sweet taste with cold and salty flavor. It will enter the lung and can treat
sore throat, urinary infection, goiter, edema, leg swelling or beriberi, and so
on.
More traditional
medicinal uses of seaweed are:
-
Kelp seaweed iodine is high, can
be used to treat several thyroid issues.
-
Malnutrition particularly those
who suffer from minerals deficiency because seaweeds are high in minerals
content. People who live on a high diet in processed foods can show
malnourished symptoms and seaweed can be consumed to treat malnutrition due to
the high level of minerals content including zinc, iron, copper, potassium,
selenium, manganese, calcium, and other hundred of fantastic minerals content.
-
Seaweed can also be used to
treat prostate health in men.
-
TBC or Tuberculosis.
-
Cancers and tumors.
-
Wide variety of meningies and
nervous conditions.
-
Gall bladder obstructions.
-
Sluggish pancreas.
-
Cold, torpid or clammy skin.
-
Dry skin.
-
Worm infestations.
-
High blood pressure.
-
Digestive problems, because
seaweed broth high in fiber, protein, and iodine can be used to treat many
digestion problems, toxic colon, and constipation.
Medicinal uses of
seaweed are not only can be used to treat mild to
severe illnesses but seaweed can promote better and healthier skins, nails, and
shiny hair as well.
Nowadays, many countries have processed
seaweed into drugs to treat diseases so it is not only limited to traditional
medicines. From tablet to powder, seaweed nowadays becomes more and more
popular as medicinal use around the world. Of course eating seaweed as natural
remedies are more recommended because there is no need to add extra chemical
ingredients and they are healthier than manufactured or processed seaweed
medicines. Moreover seaweed can be used for external pains and you can use
seaweed bath to relieve joint and muscle pain, swelling, and many more. Or you
can simply soak your body parts that feeling painful for few hours in hot Fucus
bath. Of course example of medicinal
uses of seaweed is only to treat mild pains and often it taken long time
till the pains cured.
